Unforgivable Sin
by ZDavis 2512
Summary: A year has passed since Ultimecia has been defeated and Garden is preparing for the annual SeeD exam. When things go terribly awry, Squall has to make a choice between the life of a close friend, and the lives of many...
1. Cid's Proposal

Unforgivable Sin  
  
Disclaimer: Okay this is my first attempt at a fic of any kind so hopefully this will turn out okay. Final Fantasy VIII is property of Squaresoft characters, settings, and etcetera. I don't own any of it I am just borrowing it.  
  
  
  
1 "Cid's Proposal"  
  
It was a serene, quiet day in the small town of Balamb. The town's citizens were milling around aimlessly, with a low hum of chatter that could scarcely be heard. Squall Leonhart was at the Dincht's house, and for some reason he could not bring himself to knock on the door in front of him.  
  
'Yeah some great, brave hero I am, I can't even knock on a simple door' Squall thought to himself. Truth be told this may have been Squall's toughest mission yet. How do you tell a mother that her son is dead?  
  
Squall brought his gloved hand up to the door one more time, but once again he hesitated. 'This should not be this goddamn hard; death is simply a part of life. Everyone has his or her time to die, and there is nothing that anybody can do to stop it.' "At least I wasn't able to do jack shit about it," Squall chuckled to himself bitterly. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Squall…."  
  
He immediately knew it was Rinoa, who was the last person that he wanted to see right now. He whipped around and gave her an icy glare that would have made Hyne herself tremble. However, Rinoa still tried to talk with him.  
  
"Squall, please, don't do this. It wasn't my fault. I did everything that I could to try and save Zell, but there was nothing more I could have done. It's not fair that you are blaming me," Rinoa pleaded.  
  
Squall sneered at her. "Sure Rinoa keep telling yourself that. As a matter of fact keep telling everyone that, you might be able to fool them, but you sure as hell won't be able to fool me. Now get out of my sight."  
  
Squall watched Rinoa run away, her body racked with sobs, and he hung his head a defeated man. He knew that he wasn't being far, but he just couldn't help it. He just couldn't forgive her for what she had done, or more importantly, what she had made him do.  
  
Sighing, Squall walked over to a nearby bench and plopped himself down. 'How the hell did this all happen?'  
  
One week earlier…  
  
Squall ambled into Cid's office unsure of what the Headmaster wanted with him. Squall was still the commander, but that was only a title, for all intents and purposes Cid was once again in charge of Garden, however Squall was still technically Cid's superior and could do as he pleased. Nevertheless, Squall took his orders from Cid just like any other SeeD would because that was the way that he liked it.  
  
The Headmaster looked up to see Squall standing in his doorway and said, "Ah Squall, please have a seat."  
  
Squall took a seat and felt a bit uncomfortable. Cid never asked anyone to sit down unless it was very important.  
  
"Squall I have a proposal for you; would you like to be the director for this year's upcoming SeeD exam."  
  
Squall was a little taken aback by this. 'Why does he want me to do this? What about Xu or Quistis? Either one of them are far better suited to handled the SeeD exam.'  
  
"If you are wondering why I chose you instead of Xu or Quistis, it is because they are going to be squad leaders this year," the Cid said.  
  
Squall gave the Headmaster a bemused look and said, "Am I really that predictable?"  
  
Cid laughed. "As long as I have known you, I think I should be able to know what you think by now. Anyway, since the last exam went somewhat awry with the candidates as squad leaders, I have decided to make members of SeeD the squad leaders."  
  
"So why didn't you make me a squad leader?" Squall asked.  
  
"Because you are the Commander of Garden, your rank prevents you from participating in the exam since you have to grade each candidate objectively," Cid explained.  
  
'I guess he has a point,' Squall thought, 'I guess I don't really have much of a choice.' "I'll take the position of director sir," Squall said finally.  
  
Cid smiled. "Good. I thought you would. Now being the director of the exam means you have to outline the exam. All the information will be provided to you by 1500 hours today. Also, you will have the final say in any matter concerning the exam. Finally, if need be you may take matters into your own hands if you deem it necessary. Any questions?"  
  
Squall shook his head.  
  
"Okay then dismissed."  
  
Squall got up and headed for the elevator.  
  
"Oh and Squall…"  
  
Squall turned back to look at the Headmaster.  
  
"Good luck, I think you may need it"  
  
Squall nodded and left.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2 will be very shortly. 


	2. A Faith Restored

"A Faith Restored"  
  
Squall was sitting in the cafeteria sorting through a stack pf papers, when suddenly someone covered his eyes.  
  
"Guess who?"  
  
"Selphie, please not now," Squall said tiredly.  
  
"Selphie? Is she the first girl that comes to your mind?" Rinoa asked angrily.  
  
'Damn I'm in for it now' Squall thought.  
  
"Fine then why don't you just go find her since she is obviously on your mind right now," she said as she turned to leave.  
  
"Rinoa wait. I was not thinking about Selphie, she is just more of the silly type who would do something like that. Besides I have been going through these papers for hours, I can't even think straight," Squall explained.  
  
"Well okay, but I am still a little bit mad at you," Rinoa pouted. "So, what are you working on anyway?"  
  
"Cid has put me in charge of this year's SeeD exam. I am currently trying to determine which candidates will be paired together for the squads," Squall replied.  
  
"Oh, that's great. Congratulations Squall. So, um, which squad have you put me in?" she inquired.  
  
"Rinoa, you know I can't tell you that. You will have to wait until the day of the exam to find out."  
  
"Fine," Rinoa pouted. "But don't be expecting me to make any more late night visits to your dorm until after the exam."  
  
Squall let out an aggravated sigh as he watched her walk out of the cafeteria. 'I don't think that I will ever be able to understand that girls. She is more confusing than any other person that I have ever met.' Squall grinned. 'But I think that is part of the attraction. She is completely unlike anyone I have ever known.'  
  
"Squall…"  
  
Squall suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Quistis.  
  
"Hi Squall, it looks like you could use a break right about now. How about I get us both a cup of coffee?" Quistis offered.  
  
Squall was about to decline, but for some unknown reason when he looked into Quistis's compassionate blue eyes he found that he was unable to tell her no. "Sure Quistis, I would like a cup coffee right now," Squall accepted.  
  
Quistis's face lit up as she said, "Great. Don't move I will be right back."  
  
Sighing, Squall lounged back into his chair as it became obvious to him that he wasn't going to get any more work done in the cafeteria. 'What just happened to me? Why couldn't I just tell Quistis that I had some work to do? Maybe it's nothing, I probably was in the mood for a break and I just didn't realize it.' Squall nodded. That was probably it, there was no other explanation for it.  
  
Quistis walked back, coffee in hand, and sat down in a chair across from Squall. "Here you go black, decaf, two sugars, just how you like it," Quistis said as she gave him his coffee.  
  
'How does she know how I like to drink my coffee?' Squall wondered.  
  
"If you are wondering how I know that you like your coffee that way, it is because that's how you would always get it every morning during that mission in Balktown," she said with a coy smile.  
  
Squall looked a little bit stunned. 'Jesus Christ I must be predictable. People can answer my questions without me even having to asked them.' Squall once again broke out of his thought process as he noticed that Quistis had a troubled look on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Oh I don't know, I guess that I am just a little bit nervous about the SeeD exam," she replied.  
  
"How come?" he asked.  
  
"Well isn't it kind of strange that Cid decided to have all SeeDs be named squad leaders, and that you, the Commander, were named the director of the exam. I have a feeling that there might be more to this than just the SeeD exam," she explained.  
  
Squall had been thinking the very same thing ever since he left the Headmaster's office. To hear his own thoughts echoed by Quistis, only made him more suspicious. "You know Quistis, I have been thinking the very same thing ever since Cid gave me the assignment. I plan to hold a meeting with all the squad leaders to caution them about being careful when proceeding through the exam. I think I am even going to give each squad leader a walkie-talkie so that they can call me for help if the situation gets out of hand. I mean we want the candidates to be tested, but we also want them to be tested in a fair environment, that will test their abilities accurately," he said.  
  
Quistis smiled. "Squall you have taken very well to becoming a leader. Not everyone could handle it as adeptly as you do."  
  
"Well what can I say, I had a great instructor when I was a student here at Garden," he said with a smile.  
  
Quistis blushed, then all of the sudden her eyes grew misty.  
  
"What's wrong Quistis? Did I say something wrong?" Squall asked.  
  
"No, it's just that, well if I was such a great instructor, then why aren't I still teaching?" she asked as she started to sob.  
  
Squall hesitated. He was not sure what he should say. To say that consoling someone was not his best attribute would be a severe understatement. "Um Quistis, you were a great instructor. I don't think that the faculty gave you much of a chance because of your age, but if they would have ever sat in only one of your classes, I think they would have seen that you were more than qualified to handle the job. I seriously think that once the exam is over you should reapply for your instructor's license, and prove to them that you can do the job."  
  
Quistis's face brightened a little. "You really think so?"  
  
"I know so," he replied.  
  
Quistis gave him a small smile as she wiped her eyes. "Thanks a lot Squall I needed to hear that. Well I should let you get back to your work." She got up from the table and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again Squall."  
  
"Anytime," he said with a smile on his face.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3 will be up soon. Please R/R. 


	3. A New Face

"A New Face"  
  
Squall was walking back to his dorm to finish up his work, when he saw Irvine talking to a female as usual. Squall watched as Irvine whispered something in the girl's ear and was promptly slapped across the face.  
  
"Get away from me you pervert!" the girl yelled at him as she walked away from him.  
  
'Ouch. I bet that had to hurt. When will that guy ever learn?' Squall thought.  
  
Irvine was still trying to regain his bearings when he noticed Squall was standing there with a bemused look upon his face. "Oh, uh, hey Squall how's it going," Irvine stammered obviously embarrassed that Squall had just seen what had transpired.  
  
"I can see your ability to make women swoon remains intact," Squall joked.  
  
"Hey what can you do? You win some you lose some," Irvine replied. "Anyway I just saw Rinoa storm past me a little while ago, so don't go thinking that I am the only one with women trouble around here. What happened with you two anyway?"  
  
"It's nothing. Did you hear about Cid's announcement concerning the SeeD Exam?" Squall asked.  
  
"Hey, no changing the subject. Answer my question first," Irvine chided.  
  
"Fine, whatever. She was just mad at me because I wouldn't tell her which squad she was in for the Exam. Now, did you hear about it, or not?'' Squall asked.  
  
"Yeah I heard about it Selphie told me about it when we were, uh, studying, yeah when we were studying this morning," Irvine answered. "The whole thing sounds mighty strange if you ask me. You know, I haven't been around here as long as the rest of you and I don't know Cid very well, but I think there is something different about him since he returned to Garden."  
  
Squall was surprised by this. 'Hey maybe this guy does have a brain that functions' "You know what Irvine, I think you may be right about that. I can't put my finger on it, but you are right, something has changed about the Headmaster."  
  
"You know if I were you, I might pull rank on him and ask him what is going on," Irvine suggested.  
  
"I don't think that would be such a good idea. We could be worrying about nothing, I mean maybe Cid just wants to insure that nothing goes wrong with this exam like it did last year. On the other hand if he does have something in store for us during the exam, it would be better to act like we don't know anything. That would allow us to have one up on him to know more than he thinks we know. Either way I think that it would be better to keep silent," Squall explained.  
  
"Alright man, you're the boss," Irvine replied as he turned to leave.  
  
"Oh, Irvine I forgot to tell you. I'm holding a meeting for all the squad leaders about the SeeD Exam tomorrow at 0900 hours, but don't tell anyone about it. I don't want this to go all over Garden and then have Cid catch wind of this. I just want to keep this between all the squad leaders," Squall added.  
  
Irvine nodded and tipped his hat, as he walked away.  
  
'Okay, so I still have to tell Xu, Selphie, Zell, and Nida about the meeting,' Squall thought. 'And then maybe I can actually get some work done.'  
  
Few hours later…  
  
'Uh oh, this isn't good,' Squall thought as he rubbed his eyes. He had been at this for a couple of hours now and the words were beginning to blur together. He had been trying to read the same sentence for about five minutes. 'I think I need to get some exercise, hopefully that will wake me up.'  
  
Squall yawned as he got up and stretched. He opened his door and walked over to the Training Center. Squall drew his gunblade and was immediately met by a pair of Grats. Squall quickly leapt at the nearest one, ducked underneath the Grat's vines and gave it a slash that split its body. The other Grat tried to attack Squall from behind, but he quickly dodged its attack and unleashed a fira spell that quickly killed the Grat.  
  
Suddenly Squall heard a loud roar. It was the roar of a T-Rexaur. 'Good,' Squall thought. 'This will really give me some good exercise.'  
  
Squall rushed over to where the roar had come from, but he was surprised to find that someone had beaten him to it. It was a young man, no more than seventeen or eighteen; he had black hair, was taller than Squall was, and he wielded a gunblade. That last part puzzled Squall. 'Funny, I don't remember there being another gunblade specialist here at Garden. Then again I haven't gotten through all my papers yet, I probably just haven't gotten to his papers yet,' Squall thought as he watched the young man intently ready to step in and help if needed.  
  
The man was expertly dodging the swiping attacks of the T-Rexaur while, getting in some swipes with his gunblade at the creature. The T-Rexaur managed to nick the young man on the shoulder with a glancing blow, but instead of wincing in pain he gave the monster a slight smile. "So you want to get serious huh? Fine by me," he said. With that he shouted, "Final Slash." His gunblade began to glow a mysterious green color as he leapt at the creature and slashed the T-Rexaur right across the neck severing its head from its body.  
  
Squall looked on in awe. He couldn't believe the skill that the student had. It was at least equal to his own if not superior. 'Who the hell is this guy?' Squall thought as he walked over to him.  
  
The young man was busy wiping off his gunblade when he heard Squall's footsteps. He turned around to see the Commander walking towards him. "Sir," he said as he saluted Squall.  
  
"At ease," Squall said.  
  
The young man then continued to clean his gunblade. "May I ask who you are?" Squall asked.  
  
"My name is Clark Arcan sir," he replied.  
  
"You can call me Squall. Are you participating in the SeeD Exam?"  
  
"Yes sir, I mean Squall, I am. I really hope I will pass. It's always been a dream of mine to become a SeeD," Clark answered.  
  
"Are you new here because I don't ever remember seeing you around Garden," Squall asked.  
  
"Yeah I am. I just transferred here from Galbadia Garden mainly cause I wanted to be able to study under you. I have heard all about how you defeated the sorceress. I hope one day I might be able to be as good as you are." Clark replied.  
  
'With skill like that you might be better than me already,' Squall thought. "How long have you been training with that gunblade?"  
  
"Ever since I was ten and first went to Galbadia Garden. I'm seventeen now, so I guess that would make it seven years. I chose the gunblade because it's the mystical weapon of heroes. Only the best warriors can wield the gunblade and I wanted to be one of them," Clark explained. "Do you think, maybe, that you could spar with me a little bit right now?"  
  
Squall was curious to learn the full extent of the young man's abilities, but he decided against it. "Not now, you should be focusing on the Exam. It's only a few days away. We will have plenty of time to spar after you pass and become a SeeD."  
  
"Do you really think that I will become a SeeD?" Clark asked excitedly.  
  
"Yes I do. From just what I have seen here I believe that you should have no trouble becoming a SeeD. Well I am going to head to bed now, I would suggest that you do the same," Squall said as he turned to leave the Training Center.  
  
"Okay, sir, oops I mean Squall. I'll see you later," Clark said.  
  
Squall just waved to indicate that he heard him and left.  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 is coming up. Please R/R. 


	4. Squall's Meeting

"Squall's Meeting"  
  
Squall was making his final preparations for his meeting in the cafeteria. He was going over his notes and outlining everything that he wanted to say. Squall checked his watch. 'I still have a half hour, not too bad. I wish I didn't have to give this damn speech; I hate getting up in front of everyone and talking. I should have just typed everything up and handed it out.' Squall sighed; it was much too late for that now. His thoughts shifted to the previous evening, 'I wonder what type of training Clark had. He was able to dismantle that T-Rexaur with hardly any trouble. I couldn't have beaten it any easier than he did. I thought that Seifer was my only real challenge as far as skill went, but this guy might be better than both of us. That limit break of his was something else. He powered enough energy into his gunblade to be able to slice clean through the neck of that T- Rexaur. That was an incredible attack that must have taken years of training to master.'  
  
"Um, Squall, I hate to bother you right now, but shouldn't we start heading over to the meeting now?" Xu inquired.  
  
Squall snapped back into reality and said, "Oh, yeah we should. Sorry I was just thinking."  
  
"It's okay, I know you tend to get lost in your thoughts a lot, it's not a problem," Xu responded with a slight chuckle.  
  
Squall just shook his head as they starting walking. When they arrived at the Quad they saw Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, and Nida standing around chatting to each other. When they noticed Squall arrived they quickly formed a straight line and saluted him.  
  
"At ease. C'mon you know I hate it when you guys do that," Squall said.  
  
"We know you do, and that's why we do it, tee-hee," Selphie replied with a giggle.  
  
"Whatever. So do you all know why I decided to call this meeting?" Squall asked.  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Good, then this will be brief. As you all know you have all been designated squad leaders for the upcoming SeeD Exam. As you also know, this is completely different from has been done in prior Exams. What we need to figure out is for what purpose has Cid done this for? I have been thinking it over and I can only think of two things. One, Cid may be telling the truth and he is just worried about everything going according to plan. Two, there is something that he is not telling us and he may be setting us up for whatever reason. Either way we need to be on our guard at all times during this mission. I am holding you all responsible for looking out for the candidates in each of your squads. I am trusting your judgments in the fact that you will only step in if you deem it necessary. Remember these candidates are being tested, but we don't want to test them unfairly. So if you think the situation is harder than it should be, then step in and take action. Also, Xu will be giving you each a walkie-talkie. If you need to use this to radio back to me and call me for help. I will assist you as soon as I can. Are there any questions?" Squall asked finally.  
  
"Yeah I have a question," Zell said. "Why are you so suspicious of Headmaster Cid, I mean he helped raise us all since we were little. Don't you think that we can trust him?"  
  
"That's a good question. As I was discussing with Irvine earlier, I think something has changed about Cid. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something different about him and that is why I am suspicious," Squall responded. "Any other questions?"  
  
"I've got one," Xu said. "When will we be obtaining the information pertaining to the Exam?"  
  
"I am currently typing up all the information about the Exam. You will each be receiving packets containing everything that you will need to know. I will be delivering these to each of you by 1800 hours today. I expect that you will read the packet thoroughly, and if you have any further questions concerning the information given to you please see me and ask," he replied. "Any more questions?"  
  
Everyone shook their heads.  
  
"Good, then dismissed. Oh Xu and Quisis please stay after, I have something I want to ask you two," Squall said.  
  
Everyone left the Quad except for Xu and Quistis.  
  
"What is it that you want to ask us?" Quistis asked.  
  
"You two are familiar with most of the students that attend here, right?" he asked.  
  
They both nodded.  
  
"Well, I was wondering if either of you were familiar with a student named Clark Arcan."  
  
Xu shook her head, but Quistis nodded.  
  
"I know a little about him," she said. "He's very shy and he looks up to you a great deal. He's also very bright. Why do you want to know about him? Has he done anything wrong?"  
  
"No it's not that at all," he replied. "Last night I went to the Training Center to get some exercise. I heard a T-Rexaur and I went to go battle against it, but when I got there I found Clark fighting the T-Rexaur."  
  
"What's so strange about someone fighting a T-Rexaur? They pop up all over the Training Center," Xu said.  
  
"It's not the fact that he was fighting a T-Rexaur," Squall explained. "It's the fact that he was able to defeat the T-Rexaur with complete ease. I mean I seriously do not know if I could have defeated it any easier than he did. His skill is unbelievable, I think that it may be superior than my own."  
  
"So you want to make sure that he is truly on our side, since we know so little about him," Quistis said.  
  
"Right because if he isn't then we could be in a lot of trouble," Squall said.  
  
"Well I'll ask Dr. Kadowaki if she knows anything, and I'll talk to you later," Quistis said, and then she walked out of the Quad.  
  
"I'll ask around too, and see if there is anything that I can find out about Clark," Xu offered.  
  
Squall nodded and watched her leave too. 'I am just being paranoid about Clark, or even jealous that his ability may be greater than my own? Or am I right in being suspicious about a person that we know so little of?' Squall sighed as he began to leave the Quad. He still had a lot of work that he needed to get done if he was going to get those packets out to everyone on time. 'This is going to be a long day,' Squall thought as he trudged up the stairs.  
  
  
  
Chapter 5 is coming up in a little while. Sorry but I am really getting into Final Fantasy X, but it will be up fairly soon. Please R/R. 


	5. A Surprise for Squall

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up. I was tied up with both mid terms and Final Fantasy X (Which I would recommend to any one who likes RPGs), but now that I am done with both I can now continue my story.  
  
"A Surprise for Squall"  
  
The excitement of the students was spreading throughout the Garden. Everyone was anxious to be participating in the Exam in hopes of becoming a SeeD. All the current members of SeeD were looking forward to the SeeD Ball that followed the Exam. Well, almost everybody.  
  
'Man I really don't want to go to that Ball,' Squall thought. 'And I know that Rinoa is going to make me dance with her all damn night.' Squall shook his head. 'Maybe I can fake sick or something.'  
  
But except for Squall everyone was looking forward to the events that were only two days away. Especially Zell.  
  
"Wow I can't believe that Squall actually made me a squad leader," Zell gushed.  
  
"Yeah Zell, that's really great," replied Anastasia, who was a student at Garden as well as Zell's girlfriend.  
  
Zell and Anastasia had been going out for almost six months now. Anna has just transferred from Trabia Garden when they first met. Zell, of course, had been very nervous around her and often stammered when he tried to talk to her. Luckily for him Anna saw past his nervousness and the two began dating.  
  
"I have to do my best cause I can't let Squall down," Zell said. "He has put his faith in me and I can't fail him."  
  
"Zell you are putting way too much pressure on yourself. I'm sure that you are going to do great as a squad leader," she assured him. "I hope that I am lucky enough to be placed in your squad."  
  
"Thanks Anna. I just can't believe that Squall trusts me enough to put me in charge of the SeeD candidates. I really need to prove myself to him and show that I can do this. I need to earn his respect," he said.  
  
"Why do you care so much about what Squall thinks about you?" she asked. "You should only worry about how you feel about yourself."  
  
"I dunno Anna. I mean Squall is the best. He always comes through when it counts the most. He is cool, calm, and calculated in any given situation no matter how bad it is he is never overwhelmed by any given situation. He always seems to know exactly what to do to get the job done. I have always wanted to be like that. You know, the one that everyone looks up to, and counts on. Well if I can't be that man, then at least I want to have the respect of the one who is that man." Zell explained. "I want to have the respect of the best."  
  
"I understand. I don't necessarily agree with you, but at least I understand," she said. "Anyway, are you ready for tonight?"  
  
"Yeah I can't wait. Squall is going to be so surprised. I can't wait to see the look on his face. Have you gotten everything set up yet?" he asked.  
  
"No, Selphie and Irvine said that they would take care of that, and Rinoa said she would take care of Squall. You and I just have to work on making sure everyone is there on time."  
  
"Okay then, we better get a move on. I'll meet you back here in about two hours okay?" he said.  
  
"Sounds good to me," she replied as she left.  
  
'Man Squall is gonna be so surprised,' Zell thought excitedly.  
  
A few hours later ……  
  
'Finally,' Squall thought to himself as he finished up the last page to his documents for the Exam. 'For while there I wasn't sure if I would ever finish. What I need to do is leave these in everyone's dorm and then get some sleep.' Squall smiled. The thought of some rest sounded really good.  
  
Just as he got up from his cubicle he saw Clark and Quistis walking into the classroom talking to each other.  
  
As soon as the two recognized that Squall was in the room, they both stood up and saluted him immediately.  
  
"Stop doing that," Squall said irritably. "I swear I am going to issue an order that the next person who salutes me gets to clean the bathrooms for the next month."  
  
"Sorry sir," Clark said trying to keep a straight face, while Quistis was cracking up right next to him.  
  
"Whatever," Squall said. "What are you guys doing anyway?"  
  
"Oh we were just talking about things while I was giving him a tour of Garden," Quistis answered. "Oh, before I forget Rinoa is waiting for you at your dorm, I think she wants to talk to you about something."  
  
"She probably is going to try and get me to tell her what squad she is in again. Oh well I better go talk to her. You two make sure you get to your dorms on time." Squall turned to take his leave. "And don't even think about saluting me behind my back," he added.  
  
Back at the dorms …  
  
When Squall arrived at his dorm he found Rinoa sitting outside his door. "Hey, Quistis said that you wanted to tell me something," he said.  
  
"Yeah I do, do you think we can go for a walk?" she asked.  
  
'I would really rather not, I'm tired and I want to get some rest,' he thought, but he said, "Sure where do you want to go?"  
  
"Let's go to the Quad," she said taking his hand.  
  
Just before they got there Rinoa stopped walking.  
  
"What's wrong?" Squall asked.  
  
"Nothing really, I guess I am kinda nervous about the Exam," she admitted.  
  
"Don't worry you are more than qualified to become a SeeD. Everyone knows that, this is just more of a formaility," he assured.  
  
"Yeah well, I want to make sure that you don't give me any special treatment when you are grading me. I want to do this on my own," she told him.  
  
"Don't worry the last thing I would ever do is give you preferential treatment. You should know me better than that," he replied. "Well I think I am going to head back to my dorm, I'm really tired."  
  
"Wait! I mean could you please come to the Quad with me I want to show you something," she begged.  
  
Squall looked at her suspiciously. "Couldn't it just wait until tomorrow?"  
  
"No, please I really want to show right now," she pleaded with him.  
  
"Okay fine, but let's make this quick I really want to get to bed," he said.  
  
As they strolled into the Quad they found it to be pitch dark.  
  
"Hold on," Rinoa said, "Let me turn on the lights."  
  
As she flipped them on Squall was overwhelmed by what he saw.  
  
"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"  
  
Squall slapped his forehead and shook his head. 'Looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight,' he though mirthfully.  
  
  
  
Chapter 6 will be up soon. Please R/R. 


	6. The Return of the White Knight

"The Return of the White Knight"  
  
Two men stood alone on the battlefield. Hundreds of fallen men and women surrounded the two foes as they eyed each other. Squall could not comprehend what had taken place. All his fellow SeeDs, all his friends, all dead. Squall was even more dumbfounded by the person who had done the heinous act.  
  
"Come on Squall, did you really think that I admired you? I'm twice as skilled as you could ever dream of being," Clark taunted. "I challenge you Squall Leonhart. I challenge you to a duel to the death."  
  
Squall looked around at all the dead bodies around him. They were all sprawled out precarious positions. The faces all looked at him blankly, their eyes asking him, "Why didn't you save me?" All of them who had been killed by that monster who stood before him.  
  
"How could you do this to them?" Squall shouted. "These people trusted you. These people were your friends."  
  
Clark sneered at Squall. "Friends? These people were never my friends, only pawns who I used to get to you. You see, I have been waiting for this day when I could finally exact my revenge on you. I have spent years training endlessly for this very moment. Now Squall, it is your time to suffer, your time to feel the pain, and your time to DIE!"  
  
Squall jolted awake. His eyes were wide and his breathing was coming in fast and shallow. As he began to regain his composure he wiped the sweat off his brow and tried to take slow, deep breaths. 'What the Hell just happened? It was nightmare, but it seemed way too real,' Squall thought. 'It couldn't have been Ellone she can only send someone into the past. I need to figure out what the Hell is going on.'  
  
With that Squall started to get out of bed. As he got up he felt something rub up against him.  
  
"Mmmmm… Squall, its way too early. Come back to bed," Rinoa mumbled.  
  
Squall gave her a puzzled frown. Then it dawned on him. 'Oh yeah my party. How could I forget that?' he thought as he shook his head. " Sorry, but I have a lot of things to take care of."  
  
"Fine… just make sure you keep the noise down," she replied sleepily.  
  
Squall chuckled as he stepped into the shower. He tried to outline his day as he let the refreshingly cool water wake him up. 'First I need to give the Headmaster a report about how the Exam is shaping up. Then I'll have to head into Balamb to stock up on some supplies. After that I should probably get in a quick training session.'  
  
Squall stepped out of the shower and put his clothes on. He left his dorm, closing the door as quietly as he could. As he turned around he bumped right into Zell.  
  
"Damn, sorry Squall. I'm kinda in a hurry. I'll talk to ya later," Zell said hurriedly as he dashed down the hall.  
  
Squall watched him go and shook his head slightly. He wondered about Zell sometimes. He never questioned Zell's ability or his loyalty, it was just that Zell didn't always think things though. He was often rushing into situations with reckless abandon, which was a very bad trait for a SeeD to have. SeeDs were taught have discipline and to always think out each situation carefully. Zell always meant well, but sometimes his emotions would get the better of him. Squall sighed. He was beginning to think if it was such a good idea to make Zell a squad leader. 'I'm probably just worrying too much as usual. Zell has proven that he can handle himself on the battle field and I just need to trust him.'  
  
*****  
  
"So Squall have you had any problems with setting up the Exam?" Cid asked.  
  
"No sir, everything has been fine," Squall answered. "If I may ask, why have you not given any input pertaining to the exam? Surely you must have something to add."  
  
The Headmaster smiled. "You'll find the answer to that for yourself soon enough. Now if you will excuse me, I have some important business that requires my attention."  
  
Squall saluted and took his leave. As soon as he left the room he began to wonder about the headmaster. 'What did he mean by that? There is definitely something wrong with him and I need to figure out what it is.'  
  
As Squall stepped off of the elevator, he saw Quistis running towards him.  
  
"Hey Squall, I was hoping I would run into you. Can we have lunch together today? I need to talk to you about something," she said.  
  
"Yeah sure as long as you don't mind having it in Balamb, because I am going to be there stocking up on supplies for tomorrow," he replied.  
  
"It's a date," she said. "I'll meet you there in about two hours."  
  
Squall nodded and wondered what exactly Quistis wanted to tell him.  
  
*****  
  
BAM! BAM! BAM!  
  
Irvine removed his earmuffs and admired his handiwork. Three perfect headshots. He grinned. 'Sometimes it is hard to be this damn good,' he thought. He changed the target paper and began to reload. As Irvine began to fire some more rounds his thoughts began to drift a bit. 'I wonder what in Hyne's name is wrong with the Headmaster. He's been a father figure to all of us, and now he acts like we are just any other members of SeeD. Something must have happened because he would never be so cryptic with us.' He sighed as he hit five more headshots. 'I need to talk to someone I can trust, and someone who will take me seriously.' He inwardly groaned at that last thought. With all the joking around that he did, it would be hard for him to find anyone who would take him seriously. Sometimes it just didn't pay to be a wise-ass all the time.  
  
Finally Irvine put down his Exeter and started to leave when he saw Selphie running towards him. He smiled just like he always did when he saw her, No matter how he was feeling, she always made him smile.  
  
"Hey Irvy, I have been trying to find you all day," she said. "I want to ask you something."  
  
"Well what is it Darlin'?" he asked.  
  
"I was wondering, um, if maybe, you would like to go to the SeeD Ball with me?" she asked shyly as she looked down at the floor.  
  
Irvine broke out into a smile bigger than Zell's appetite for hot dogs. "Of course I would. I would love to go to the Ball with you."  
  
Selphie's face brightened. "You mean you'll really go with me? That's great," she replied cheerily. "Oh Irvy, its going to be so much fun! Well I gotta go. I'll see ya later."  
  
Irvine waved as she walked away. 'I was beginning to think that she was never gonna ask me.' He smiled at the thought of getting to dance with Selphie all night long. He strolled along whistling a happy tune.  
  
*****  
  
'Hmmm… this selection has gotten much better since the last time I was here,' Squall thought as browsed though the Balamb Supply Shop. Squall decided to stock up on some Elixers and Phoenix Downs, as well as a sharpening blade and some Pulse Ammo he had promised to buy for Irvine. 'He better pay me back this time or I am going to take it out of his salary.'  
  
As he left the shop he saw Quistis sitting on the bench waiting for him. He walked over to her and said, "So shall we go to the Balamb Restaurant?"  
  
Quistis smiled. "That sounds fine to me."  
  
After they were seated and ordered their food Squall inquired Quistis about what she had wanted to talk about.  
  
Quistis started to play with her napkin and looked down. "Oh I don't know how to say this."  
  
"Quistis, we have known each other since we were little. We know just about everything about each other. Just tell me." Squall said impatiently.  
  
Quistis sighed. "Okay. It's about how I feel about you. Squall I…"  
  
Squall interrupted, "It's okay Quistis. You don't have to say it. I already know how you feel."  
  
"No Squall, I have to say this for myself. I have to get this off of my chest. If I don't tell you I'll regret it for the rest of my life." She paused. "Squall I…I love you. I don't love like a brother, I truly love you. I know you can't return my love, but I had to tell you this."  
  
Squall was silent as he looked down at the table.  
  
"Well aren't you going to say anything?" she asked.  
  
Squall finally looked up. "What I am supposed to say? I mean, Quistis we have become really close over the past year. I consider you my best friend out of everyone, and I know how you feel about me, however, I love Rinoa.  
  
"I know Squall, I just-…"  
  
"But as a friend, Quistis, as a friend I love you," Squall finished.  
  
Quistis's pale blue eyes began to water as she took in what the man of her dreams had just said to her. "Oh Squall you do not know how long I have waited for you to say that even if you mean it only as a friend." She wiped her eyes. "Even if I can never have you the way that I want, I wait for you until the end of time."  
  
"You really shouldn't," Squall began. "Maybe under different circumstances, then maybe we could be together, but I have Rinoa, and we have such a strong bond between us. I wouldn't wait for me. You deserve to have someone who will love back just as much as you love him."  
  
Quistis shook her head. "There is no one else for me. I cannot feel this way about anyone else. I know you can't be with me, but I can't be with anyone else."  
  
Squall nodded. "I think I understand."  
  
When their food arrived they began to talk about random things like the upcoming Triple Triad tournament, and Quistis's misfortune of walking into Zell's room without knocking first. They both just took the time they had to enjoy each other's company like best friends often do.  
  
*****  
  
Clark swiped at his opponent who barely dodged the attack. 'Hyne,' Clark thought. 'That move was only intended to give me some room. I wasn't even trying to strike him, and he barely dodged it. I really need to get some better sparring partners or I'm gonna lose some of my edge.' His opponent came at him with his Katana held over his right shoulder. Clark waited for him to attack, and then quickly ducked under his foe's slash and slide behind him. Clark struck him on the back of the head with the handle of his Gunblade. His partner fell face forward into the ground. Quickly two students rushed forward to check on the fallen student. Clark merely shook his head and sheathed his Gunblade.  
  
"Very good Clark," Xu commented. "Your timing was perfect."  
  
"Indeed it was," said a voice. "In fact it was almost half as good as I would have done myself."  
  
Both Xu and Clark turned to see who it was.  
  
"Hey aren't you-…" Clark started.  
  
"Seifer Almasy." Xu finished. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Seifer smirked at her. "Well if you must know, I would advise to inquire the Headmaster about my reasons for being here since he was the one who summoned me."  
  
Xu glared at him. "Oh believe me, I intend to."  
  
Seifer laughed. "Go right ahead I'm rather curious myself. Anyways, who is this boy scout trying to copy my moves?" he asked turning his attention to Clark.  
  
"My name is Clark, and I wouldn't be dead trying to steal any of your moves. They are elementary compared to some of the ones that I have mastered."  
  
Seifer laughed again. "Sorry kid, but you aren't even close to being in my league. No one, except maybe for Squall, is close to being my equal. He alone is my rival, you would not be able to last a minute with either of us." Seifer replied. "So Xu, where is the beloved Commander? I need to have a word with him. You know catch up on all the good times we used to have."  
  
"Sorry I don't know where he is. Even if I did there is no way in Hell that I would ever tell you. I have not forgotten what you have done to everyone. You tried to annihilate the only place that you have ever called home. You tried to have all the people who you have grown up with killed. You even tried to have Cid, the man who is like a father to you, a man who has cared for you your entire miserable life, killed."  
  
"Xu… I…" Seifer stammered obviously taken aback by Xu's words.  
  
"I'M NOT FINISHED YET GODDAMNIT!" Xu yelled as she lost all sense of control. "How many innocents have died because of you? How many young children were deprived of their futures because of you? And for what? I mean really, for what? For some bullshit dream that you thought you were fulfilling. I despise you Seifer, and it is only out of my respect for the Headmaster that I am not ordering for you to be killed on the spot. But believe me," Xu said as she got right up in his face. "If you EVER try to cross us again… I will kill you myself."  
  
Everyone in the Training Center was stunned in silence. Nobody had ever seen Xu lose her composure like this before. Even Seifer was at a loss for words at Xu's tirade.  
  
"What the Hell's going on in here?" Squall asked as he stepped into the Training Center.  
  
"Nothing," Xu replied. "Seifer and I were just getting re-acquainted."  
  
Squall's attention quickly turned to Seifer. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Seifer smirked as he finally saw a reaction that he was accustomed to. "Hey buddy, I was just looking for you."  
  
"Well now you've found me. So what do you want?"  
  
Seifer looked at all of the students who were watching and said, "Well if it isn't too much trouble for the almighty Commander, I would like to have a word with you in private."  
  
"Fine, let's go," Squall said quickly as he started to walk out of the Training Center.  
  
Seifer began to follow, but he turned to face Clark. "Keep practicing kid. You really need it."  
  
Before Clark could respond Xu stepped in and said, "Don't forget what I said."  
  
Seifer merely nodded and left.  
  
"Okay everyone the show's over resume sparring," Xu ordered the students. She began to think back on everything that had happened that fateful day when Seifer had ordered the Galbadian troops into Balamb Garden.  
  
*****  
  
"Xu, we are under attack!" Selphie shouted. "Squall wants you to go to the second floor and try to protect the Junior Classman."  
  
"Ok Selphie, I'm on it. Good luck," Xu said.  
  
"You too. Take care of yourself." Selphie replied.  
  
Xu hopped on the elevator up to the second floor. She quickly found a dozen Junior Classmen and took them to a classroom on the left wing with two other SeeDs, Katrina Riza and Hirami Carr, to help her.  
  
They waited there hoping that no one would come, but their hopes went unfulfilled. Galbadian troops filled the room as they smashed through the windows. Xu grabbed her staff and quickly attacked they one closest to her. She and the other two SeeDs fought valiantly, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Galbadians.  
  
Katrina was busy fighting off two Galbadians when one snuck up behind her and stabbed her in her back. She felt true remorse that she had failed herself and those who depended on her.  
  
Hirami was having a little better luck. He had managed to kill off three Galbadians, when a bullet pierced his heart. His only regret was that he never got to tell his girlfriend that he loved her.  
  
Xu was the last one standing as she had already taken down five Galbadians. She was attacking three others, but she was knocked down by Meltdown spell from the Galbadian Captain.  
  
As she tried to regain her senses she saw the Captain ordering his troops to line up. She saw that they were pointing their rifles at the Junior Classmen.  
  
"Ready. Aim." The Captain said.  
  
"NO! STOP!" Xu screamed.  
  
"FIRE!" he shouted.  
  
With that, all the rifles fired mowing down all the Junior Classman. They did not understand what was happening, they just gave blank stares as they feel to their deaths.  
  
"Y-Y-YOU BASTARDS!" Xu yelled. She had reached her limit. "TORRENTIAL WINDS!" she shouted.  
  
A bunch of winds surrounded the soldiers. The winds began to lift the soldiers off the ground and started to drain the lives out of them. They screamed as they felt their lives slipping away little by little, but their fates were already sealed. The winds finally ceased and the lifeless bodies fell to the ground.  
  
Xu saw a little girl stirring. She quickly ran over to her. Her breath was coming in fast and shallow. Her face was as white as a sheet of paper.  
  
"Hey hold on Raize, you're going to be okay," Xu assured her.  
  
"I'm dying aren't I?" the little girl asked.  
  
Xu shook her head fiercely. "No you're not. You're gonna make it though this. You just have to hold on a little bit longer." Tears began to well up in Xu's eyes.  
  
The little girl began to cry too. "I'm scared. I want to go home. I want to see my parents and tell them that I love them. I want them to hold me and for everything to be alright."  
  
"You will. You'll be able to tell them that you love them soon enough," Xu said.  
  
"Please tell my parents that I love them very much for me," Raize said. With that the light began to fade from her eyes and her body grew cold.  
  
Xu squeezed the little girl tightly against her body as tears streamed down her face. Then she noticed the Galbadian Captain beginning to move.  
  
She quickly stood over him and held the tip of her staff against his throat. "How could you do this to children? They've done nothing wrong. They are just fucking kids for Hyne's sake. They had their whole lives in front of them and you just ripped it away from them. WHY?"  
  
"It was orders. From Seifer," he said. "I was just doing my job."  
  
"Well so am I," she said as she rammed the end of her staff through his throat.  
  
On that day she made a promise that she would make Seifer pay for what done.  
  
*****  
  
"I will not let those young children's deaths go unpunished Seifer. I promise," Xu promised silently.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: I just wanted to explain that this is not going to become a Squall x Quistis fic. Like Squall said he can't be with her. I just think that he and Quistis share a special bond of friendship. That is all. 


End file.
